Deidara stared in disbelief at the Suna ninja before him. He didn't realize they were all puppets until he noticed their strange walking posture.
Is Sunagakure's puppetry really this advanced? I couldn't detect the slightest flaw.
The puppet impatiently spoke after watching Deidara hesitate for a while. "Well then, let's go. Or do you expect me to personally come out and invite you?"
"Heh, interesting," Deidara chuckled, a grin spreading across his face. Secretly, he quickly calculated how much clay he had brought along and confidently followed behind.
The puppet led Deidara directly to the Kazekage's Office door and pushed it open. Inside stood only one person wearing a mask. Judging from his attire, this was none other than Sasori, the current Kazekage.
Seeing Deidara walk in, Sasori spoke first. "Didn't I already tell you the weak spots in the barrier and positions of hidden guards? Why did you take so long? Don't tell me—you doubted me and double-checked everything yourself, didn't you?"
Upon hearing these words, Deidara finally understood what was going on. He pointed in shock at the figure before him and exclaimed, "You... you're Master Sasori!"
Sasori lightly laughed. "Aren't you always curious about my true face? Now, I can show it to you."
As he spoke, Sasori removed his mask, revealing an eerily handsome youthful face. Ever since obtaining the Ryumyaku Chakra Control, Sasori had maintained the appearance of a teenager in his early teens—appearing surprisingly younger than Deidara himself.
Blinking several times, Deidara stared at the face multiple times before asking skeptically, "Hey, Master Sasori... could it be—you're actually younger than me?"
"Age is meaningless to me." As he spoke, Sasori tossed the One-Tail's container toward Deidara.
"What is this?"
Taking it casually, Deidara immediately understood. However, instead of showing any joy over completing his mission, he said with mild boredom, "Huh? This was way too easy to get hold of. No fun at all."
"Now that you've stepped onto my territory, I won't let you feel bored." Sasori walked ahead, out of the room as he spoke, "Follow me."
Instantly excited, Deidara obediently followed closely behind.
Standing atop Deidara's giant white bird, the two men flew toward the rear of Sunagakure. As Sasori released the barrier technique, a vast Mechanical Army appeared before Deidara's eyes—an awe-inspiring sight that immediately captured his attention.
"These... are all your creations?"
Sasori nodded. "Most of them are. Some were made by the craftsmen under my command. Let me show you something fun."
Without even appearing to move, Sasori activated something below. A mechanical fighter nearly identical in size to Deidara's giant bird soared into the air. After circling around in the sky a few times, it launched various long-range missiles at a patch of desert sand, initiating a fierce attack.
Boom! Boom! Boom! The missiles rained down in parabolic arcs, tearing across the heavens. Explosions thundered through the sky as massive mushroom clouds rose into the air, illuminating Deidara's slightly dazed expression.
"Art... this is art itself! Master Sasori, I knew it all along—you truly agree with me!"
Deidara's heart swelled with admiration for Sasori.
"This isn't art at all—it's just a killing weapon," Sasori said casually. "Explosions are nothing more than fleeting sparks. The puppet I created is the true eternal art. I can produce as many explosions as I desire."
Normally, Deidara would have argued upon hearing these words, but faced with undeniable proof before him, he remained silent this time.
"Enough about art for now. We can argue about it later. Since you've brought him here, let me see how much Deidara has grown," Anya's voice reached both of their ears.
A third person?
Following the direction of the voice, Deidara saw someone standing at the main fortress gate directly ahead. Though it was their first meeting, there was something strangely familiar about this man.
Deidara leapt down from his massive clay bird and approached Anya, asking, "Have we met before?"
Anya used the Spirit Transformation Technique to mimic the soul energy of Deidara's father, smiling slightly as she spoke in his voice: "I saw you when you were very young. Never thought time would fly so quickly that you've already grown up this much."
A look of stunned disbelief crossed Deidara's eyes as he murmured, "Dad..."
Sasori, who had just walked over and heard Deidara's way of addressing someone, replied with an odd expression on his face, "Didn't expect you to be so quick to call someone 'father.'"
Still dazed, Deidara felt something was off and instinctively stepped back a few paces, pointing at Anya but unable to speak.
"There's no need to be surprised," Anya said calmly. "Your father died during the Third Great Ninja War. The last person he saw before his death was me. His final wish was for you to live on—I promised him that. So, from now on, follow me."
Deidara's mind became somewhat confused, and he unconsciously turned his gaze toward Sasori.
Sasori extended his own invitation at the same time: "That's right. I brought you to Sunagakure Village precisely to introduce you to Brother Kurotsuchi. You're my chosen partner, and I don't want you to keep following Akatsuki."
Hearing this, Deidara finally understood what was going on.
"So that's how it is, Sasori-no-danna. You've been working as a mole within Akatsuki all along."
Anya gave a soft chuckle and added, "More accurately, most of Akatsuki actually answer to me. Konan is my student, Itachi my adoptive son, Sasori my brother, Kakuzu my uncle, Hidan was deliberately placed into Akatsuki by me, and Kisame was once a rogue ninja under my wife's command before going his own way."
Analyzing it this way, aside from Pain—the organization's leader—only Zetsu remained as someone seemingly untouched.
Unbeknownst to them, Anya, knowing the full story of the Hokage, had deliberately avoided interfering with Zetsu in order to ensure the success of the ultimate plan.
After a moment of silence, Deidara asked, "What exactly is your goal?"
Sasori answered, "For now, it's the same as Akatsuki's—collecting tailed beasts. As for what comes after, you'll learn everything once you join us."
Suddenly, Deidara burst into laughter. Facing Sasori, he said, "Sasori-no-danna, you know why I joined Akatsuki in the first place. To be honest, I don't care about any of your connections—I only care about my art."
"Art is explosions, isn't it?"
"Anya, just as she had done when he was a child, patted Deidara's head and said, 'Isn't it a bit too boring always using white clay for explosions? Have you ever thought about trying different colored clays? Besides, the effects from your explosions always look the same—completely lacking in aesthetic appeal. Actually, explosions come in many different forms. Learn how to refine them, how to shape explosions into scenes that will leave everyone speechless—that's the path you should follow. Let the world witness explosions unlike anything ever seen before. That's the road you must take.'"
Anya's words stirred Deidara deeply, and he couldn't help but respond emotionally, "Old man... from now on, I'm with you."
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